St. Landry democrat., 1887-08-06

gives name to the kingdom and con-
tains the famous crater of Kilauea.
kalakaua is the nominal ruler of the
kingdom. His queen, kapiolani, is now
journeying through the United States,
bound for the English court. The white
traders, however, are the true autocrats,
the King and his dusky ministers being
readily susceptible to pecuniary persua-
sion, and quite content with regal
hOnors.
AS visitor from the antipodes, l
naturally expected to be a sensation.
The expectation was speedily removed.
New York is but one-tenth as distant
from Honolulu as Honolulu has seemed
from New York. Indeed, so close to the
world are some of the leading traders
here that they have tailors, shoemakers,
matters, correspondents and a visiting
circle in New York city. | became
acquainted with my host on my way to
San Francisco. He was then returning
from semi-annual shopping and social
visit to New York. Thus-though born
of American parents of course-raised
and living on Southern island, he gets
around his social circle in New York
city as regularly as most of Gotham's
men of fashion themselves.
The more affiuent rarely fail to get to
the States at least once year, women
and children included. Nearly all of
these traders have grown rich. The
opportunities are excellent, the home
pleasant, and they are warmly attached
to it. Sugar is king on the islands, and
the bulk of this and the rice trade is with
the United States The islands are in
direct line between the States and Aus
tralia, and have become great supply
station not only for the South-sea
whalers but for all vessels plying be-
tween these countries
The social privileges are hardly in
ferior to those of communities of SINH
lar size in the States. They have even
advanced to the lawn-tennis stage of civ
ilization and refinement With money
all the luxuries can be imported. found
American schools, churches, Sunday
schools, papers and magazines. My
hosts library had bound Ha1per's and
the Century from first issue. He received
the rudiments of his education on the
islands and then took college course in
New England, bringing back with him
New England wife as well as a diploma.
His two bright little girls school on the
islands, and then are taken part of the
year to San Francisco, just as American
children are sent to Paris to Finish off. )"
Their father desires them to marry and
settle on the islands-not a difficult con-
summation, if they reach maturity. Fee
males are in the minority, and on this
account Chinese have had to be made
domestic servants. White servants,
brought from the States, marry before half
their passage money is earned. The last
one at the house of my sojourn, though
bound by strong contract and guarded
with as much ugliness as could be found,
pleaded piteously for release before half
of her passage money had been worked
out. Her lover made up the deficiency,
and they were obliged to give her the
coveted freedom.
ANAL arrival twice month makes red
letter day. With plenty of time, the
English-speaking islanders read the pa
pers and magazines closely, and keep up
an extensive and elaborate correspond
ence with friends in the States. Letter
writing as an art may thus find its pres
ervation here. Every circus and theatre
cal troupe going to Australia stops
at the islands and gives performance.
The islanders, as will thus be seen, are of
the earth quite earthly, despite their re-
mOteness.
The natives are a bright copper
colored race, quick at learning and
warmly attached to their homes. In
exile they are miserable, and will cry
piteously at the sound of their rich
native tongue in a strange land. The
language is soft and beautiful, with
vowels predominating They print
newspaper in the native tongue, and